What do we do while we wait?

In the Meantime, Part 2

On that very day Abraham took . . . every male in his household,and circumcised them, as God told him. ~ Genesis 17:23
READING: Genesis 17:23-27

Hip deep in the middle of planting a church it can feel as if God’s promises will never come true. They may shimmer out there at the edge of our peripheral vision. And if we aren’t careful, we may make the mistake of thinking all God’s words to us are meant for some vague tomorrow.

I felt dejected the day I ran across Genesis 17 in morning devotions. In spirit I stood beside Abraham, hearing God reaffirm His promise. Abraham helped me refocus my energy “in the meantime” of my own smaller life story.

Abraham could have responded to God merely with a dreamy faith that lives in the fuzzy future. But he balanced his belief for the long haul with a practical and prompt obedience whenever God told him to do something.

In this chapter, God told him to circumcise every male in his household. He obeyed that very day. Back in Genesis 12 he packed up immediately and went to the Promised Land. In Genesis 21, although it broke his heart, he sent Ishmael and Hagar away early the next morning. Years later, when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, he saddled his donkey early the next day (22:3).

Abraham steered me back to the small but pivotal daily obedience of returning phone calls, acting on His nudges and continuing to knock on doors. I love Abraham’s courageous balance between the theoretical and the practical.

He taught me to:
Believe God for the long haul, and
Obey God today.

Abraham helped me to relax and make peace with my limbo. Armed with faith that God’s timing is best, I’ve learned to look for ways to obey God now – in the meantime.
Dear Lord, Please show me how to obey You today. Amen.

By Dionne Carpenter at churchplants.com

Saving The Unborn and Moms in Ethiopia: Part One

Saving the Unborn and Moms in Ethiopia: Part Two

I'll Follow You, Jesus

You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.

All my needs you have supplied
When I was dead you gave me life
So how could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God
Follow you into the world

Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
To the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause Faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was she'd
So how could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the world.


I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself... to you.

And I give all myself.
Yes, I give all myself.
And I give all myself... to you.

Waiting on God and Another Kindle Freebie

I've been wanting to put a new blog post up for some time now...but I just can't think of anything profound to say. Nothing too exciting is going on right now~we're just waiting on God's provision for the move to Kenya. We know that while we wait, God is working in us. He is preparing us. He is refining our vision and correcting some misconceptions. He is teaching us to depend on Him alone~not just for financial provision, but for EVERYTHING. He is also encouraging us in some wonderful ways.

We Skyped with our new friends, the Sweazy's, last night and we are so excited about what God is doing in their lives. He is preparing them and providing for them to go to Kenya as well. It's such a blessing to be on this journey with them. Check out their blog in my sidebar~The 28:19 Call. Such a beautiful family and we share a similar burden for the fatherless.

While we wait, we are going to concentrate on learning Swahili using the Pimsleur method. I'm thankful to have settled on something structured that we can focus on and make some progress!

Some of our loved ones are concerned about us going to Kenya in light of recent happenings there. The Westgate Mall incident isn't a deal breaker for us. God has called us to GO, and we will trust and obey.

Safety does not depend on our conception of the absence of danger. Safety is found in God's presence, in the centre of His perfect will.

T. J. Bach

I just discovered a free Kindle book on Amazon.com that looks really promising! Relentless: Pursuing a Life That Matters. Check it out while it's free!

Sorry if this post seems disjointed, but that kind of reflects the way my brain is working lately. I don't even have a picture to share!